Other methods are disclosed in the literature or are in commercial use which provide diagnostic compositions of Technetium Tc 99m suitable for imaging liver but which have certain aspects limiting their usefulness.
One such method employs an injectable solution of Technetium 99m present as the pertechnate ion, complexed with sodium phytate. Although this composition provides a method for imaging liver, it is unsatisfactory for imaging the spleen and bone marrow.
Another such preparation for use in diagnosis is known as a Technetium Tc 99m sulfur colloid. Although compositions of this type are useful for imaging spleen and bone marrow as well as liver, they are tedious and time consuming for the clinician to employ. Since the injectable sulfur colloid must be freshly prepared, the person who carries out the procedure must carry out a series of time-consuming steps including addition of pertechnate solution, acidification, heating the solution, further pH adjustment, cooling, and allowing to stand for a period of time. This lengthy procedure is an inherent disadvantage in the use of such Technetium 99m Sulfur Colloids.